A Rainbow No More
by Flying Sky High
Summary: Rainbow Dash has a crush on Applejack. But when the two are seized by jet planes and chosen to be soldiers in the war against the Griffins, will this romance die along with them? Language, gore, programming references (Scary stuff, man)
1. Chapter 1

A Rainbow No More

By Flying Sky High

**A/N For those of you who read Rainbows are for Fillyfoolers, this story has the same target: To make you sad. This is intended for deep thinkers, and for those who want emotion. Here we go.**

Rainbow Dash flew through the clouds. She raced the wind, she soared over the town of Ponyville, and she watched the ponies below go about their daily activities.

She loved the feel of the wind in her mane. Every individual molecule in her body craved it; she craved the feeling of flight. It was her heaven, her realm, and most times she never wanted to leave it.

Her wings were getting tired, so she swooped down to rest. She landed in front of Fluttershy's cabin, and looked in the window.

Fluttershy was laying on the couch, reading a book. She had Angel on her head.

Rainbow didn't want to bother her, but she really wanted to tell her something.

She desperately tried to keep herself from the door... To no avail.

She knocked. Fluttershy jumped in fear, a truly pure expression of fright masked her face. Rainbow heard her squeak, then get up and walk to the door.

"Umm... hi, Rainbow... "

"Hi, Fluttershy! Guess what?"

"...what?"

"Guess!"

"Ok, umm... you... won something?" asked Fluttershy timidly.

"No."

"Oh, sorry... did you... lose something...?"

"NO!"

"OH! Oh, oh... sorry sorry sorry..."

"Never mind. Well, what are you doing?" asked Rainbow.

"I was reading a book," replied Fluttershy.

The book was nowhere to be seen, as it had been thrown across the room.

Rainbow just trotted inside.

She sat down while Fluttershy went searching for her book.

Rainbow finally got the nerve to actually say what she had come to say.

"Fluttershy... I came here for another reason, actually."

"Oh, you did? What's that, if you don't mind me asking...?"

"...I have... a _crush_ on Applejack."

"OH. That's... but you're such close friends... I don't know, Rainbow..."

"I can't help myself! Every time we hang out, I get this feeling, like, I have to touch her mane, and, and look into her eyes, and..."

Now she was starting to cry. She covered her face with her hooves, and Fluttershy flew over.

"But if you think it would work... you can tell her... I'm just afraid for you."

"But... but I think she likes me back cause, cause she... she keeps looking at me..."

"So maybe it will, I don't know."

Rainbow was on her way to Sweet Apple Acres. She was ready to tell her.

Although, a part of her was afraid.

Which side was bigger?


	2. Chapter 2

A Rainbow No More

Chapter 2

**BTW, there are 0 lemons in this one.**

**Which side was bigger?**

Rainbow wanted to cry again. She was so nervous, but she had to tell her. There was no other way to go.

She sped toward Sweet Apple Acres at a speed nopony dared to go. Faster than... the speed limit.

She tried to cheer herself up with her own jokes, but they weren't funny. So she just went with her mood.

She landed quietly in front of the door to Applejack's house.

_Holy shit, man... This is it._

She looked in the window. It was a terrible habit. What if she was... like...

Applejack stared into Rainbow's eyes, but not before throwing the jar of applesauce she was spreading on a piece of _bread_ and _vegemite_ out of the room.

She opened the door, and her brilliant, cute smile peeked through the doorway.

"Uh, hi, Rainbow." She looked behind her, and slightly pulled the door back to cover Rainbow's view of the room.

"Hi, AJ... What the hay are you doing with applesauce and vegemite?"

"OH! Uh, just, ya know, makin' a sammich... so, how goes it?" She asked.

"I... ...Can I come in?"

"Sure, sugarcube. You want a-"

"-NO," said Rainbow, almost offended.

"Oh, sorry... is it... that weird?" She cringed, her ears pointed down in shame.

"Well... ooh, AJ, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" Rainbow started, realizing how she'd acted.

A tear ran down the side of Applejack's face, and she looked down.

"AJ?" Rainbow bent down to look at her face. Her forelegs just kind of hugged AJ on their own as she attempted to console her.

"It's fine..."

Rainbow had just made AJ cry, instead of tell her she loved her.

What a fuckup.

"I actually was just tryin' to be cool... and not like vegemite... but, I have a bunch in my pantry at home... It reminds me of you..."

"You knew? What the hell, Rainbow?"

"Sorry, it's just..."

"We could have had less hide-ey lunches!"

"This whole thing is pathetic," said Rainbow.

"Why?" replied Applejack.

"It's pathetic because..." - she took a deep breath - "...because vegemite reminds me of how cute and nice and strong I think you are!"

AJ was taken aback. "Rainbow, I had no idea you thought about me _that_ way..."

"I KNOW, I'm disgusting and pathetic!"

"No, you're not," said AJ.

"Really?"

"Really."

"I thought you'd think I was disgusting for liking mares... and pathetic for making a big deal over vegemite... which is pathetic."

"I don't."

"Oh."

It was a simple turn of events. Brief, simple, and sweet. So they took it outside.

Applejack and Rainbow were silent as they walked up a hill to a cliff. There they could talk in private.

"So... about me liking you as more than a friend... did you know?"

"I suspected it, cause you kept a-lookin' at my flank."

"Oh, shit. You saw that. Sorry."

"It's really no biggie, sugarcube. Just keep it to a minimum around my folks," said Applejack.

"Around your folks?"

"Yep."

"So... do you like, like me back, even just a little?"

"Rainbow, I-"

Rainbow Dash slipped. The dirt under her hooves gave way, and she fell off the edge. Her wings wouldn't come out; she was doomed to fall. Applejack screamed when she realized Rainbow wasn't flying, and she gasped and sobbed when Rainbow hit the ground with a loud _thunk... directly _on her back.

When Applejack got to where Rainbow lay, she had never known such fear.

Rainbow wasn't breathing.


	3. Chapter 3

A Rainbow No More, Chapter 3

Applejack hoisted Rainbow onto her back. She ran off, towards the hospital. The whole way she was just as terrified as she was when she saw what happened.

She was tearing up again; her legs were killing her. The ground under her hooves was uneven, and she kept tripping most of the way there.

Rainbow was dreaming. She was reaming about her wings breaking. The pain was immense, and she had fallen just so that the wind was knocked out of her. She couldn't breathe. She was trapped.

Applejack neared the door to the hospital.

5 meters.

4 meters.

3 meters.

2 meters.

1 meter...

She and Rainbow burst through the doors, Rainbow slumping over when they finally stopped skidding on the floor.

Applejack only remembered looking up, saying "cliff", then passing out.

Rainbow awoke in the ER. She had fallen off a cliff.

Applejack was in the bed next to her. Rainbow never got to know if Applejack liked her or not.

Pain raked her whole body, especially her wings. They burned like she had taken a wrench and clasped one end, and stomped the other inside out.

Her ribs were broken, (**reference to another story**) and whenever she moved, they rippled across her chest like dice in a bag.

She was broken beyond repair, and she knew it was true.

Applejack, on the other hand, was waking up as well.

She was exhausted, and her legs were all bruised, one was wrapped up. It hurt to move.

Rainbow attempted to look over at Applejack.

"AJ... you awake?"

"Uh-huh..." was the reply.

"AJ, I'm sorry for putting you in this situation... I dragged you up to that cliff, and you were the one that had to take me here, and you messed yourself up in the process. I'm-"

"Don't you fret, sugarcube. Would I just leave anypony layin' there if they fell off a buckin' cliff?"

"...No..."

AJ didn't know what to say next.

An awkward silence took place, and for that silence, Rainbow realized she couldn't move her wings at all.

"AJ..."

"Yeah?"

"I can't move my wings."

"Well, you fell right on top of them."

"I mean, I can't even try to move them. I can't feel them at all, but it feels like they're still there."

"So, your wings are numb?"

"...I think they might be paralyzed."

All those years still to go... and she had lost her career, her life, her passion. All gone.

"Now, wait a minute, sugarcube. Don't go around thinkin' that they won't heal, now," said AJ.

"No, I'm pretty sure they won't. I'm scared."

"Don't worry... I'm sure they're fine..."

"But what if they aren't? What if I'm grounded forever?"

"Rainbow-"

"Why?! Why me?! All I wanted to do was confess to somepony that I was in love with her!"

"Rainbow?"

"...wh-what?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, but... I don't really know if I feel... the same way."

Rainbow looked straight ahead.

"Oh."

* * *

><p><strong>Why does AJ not love her back?<strong>

**Tell me why you think this is in the reviews!**

**Thanks!**

***hugs***


	4. Chapter 4

**A Rainbow No More- Chapter 4**

**That rhymed.**

**Ok, so I got some viewpoints.**

**I have made a decision.**

**Thank you for reviewing, and faving, and following, and all that good, glorious stuff.**

**We have some really deep thinkers in the reviews of Jealousy, and I hope to see more of that!**

**Anyone wanna match Vhan8765?**

**I dare you.**

* * *

><p>Night had fallen over Equestria, and the hospital had gone mostly dark.<p>

The few lights that were on were dim, and the tapping of hooves could be heard throughout the building.

Every few minutes, the sound of screeching wheels and the rattling of loose bolts would pass by Rainbow's curtain.

...But what truly invaded her senses was the _smell_.

The stench of white. It was a bleached odor, the smell of artificiality. The smell of disinfection; the smell of sterilization.

It was unearthly.

She couldn't sleep; she couldn't shut her brain down. Nothing she tried would work.

She laid on the bed, as still as possible. If she attempted to move, her wings would fight back, as she was regaining the sense of touch in the nerves on the inside. It felt as if she had relaxed her wings and slammed them on a table. That moment of pain was the perished result of the pain killer that had been injected into her body.

Applejack was asleep.

Rainbow was being tortured, practically _teased_ like an animal, just thinking about all the things she had done.

Telling Applejack was the worst decision she had ever made. What would happen if she had said otherwise, or not have even flew there in the first place?

She would have been at peace with herself. Applejack would... she didn't know if there would be a difference in AJ. She didn't even know if there was the slightest amount of guilt in her heart. She didn't believe there was.

So she waited.

She waited for dawn.

* * *

><p>Applejack woke up.<p>

She looked around.

She looked at Rainbow.

Rainbow looked at the back of her eyelids.

Applejack turned herself to lay down again. She had dreamt of something she would never tell anypony.

_Applejack woke up. She was confused; she had woken without remembrance of ever sleeping. She got out of bed, the wood floor of her room rough with splintering boards. Every other one creaked, but it was a sound that was never heard. The sound appeared in her mind, as a form of alert; it was never a sound to recall hearing._

_She pushed her door open. _

_The hallway was silent; the curtains of the window at the end floated like the waves of the ocean. A draft drifted through the house._

_Her door slammed, startling her. The window let the air pressure relax._

_She stepped down the stairs, hoping to see her sister or Big Macintosh at the table. Yet the room was silent, as well._

_The front door creaked, swaying in the breeze. It was left in mid swing._

_The chimes outside twinkled and danced with the wind; the dry air whispered._

_It whispered her name._

_It called to her; it beckoned her forward. She followed its lead. It led her to the barn._

_She approached the barn door. As she did so, the wind stopped._

_It spoke no more._

_She opened the door, the creaking wood as silent as an illusion._

_The following events represented fear in the eye of the beholder._

_Around a beam across the ceiling, a rope was tied. The dull, dusty colors were accented by nothing; they stood as though they were a faded photograph._

_Her eyes followed the rope down to where it ended in a loop. It was wrapped around itself, and tied through the loops to hold it tight._

_Applejack saw herself, tied around the neck, swinging lightly on the rope like a chandelier. _

_Her arms were crisscrossed with red scathes. _

_...A circular stool was still rolling along the floor of the barn. It made a circular path as it rolled. It stopped, and rocked back and forth in its resting spot._

_The door slammed behind her; she had mindlessly walked forward._

_On the doors, scratched out with new, dripping blood, was a single sentence._

_'Pain is never heard.'_

* * *

><p><strong>Most of this was the dream.<strong>

**Freaky! It just came to me as I was singing to my cat.**

**...creepy, I know.**

**HA! Whatever.**

**What do you think this means? Leave it in the reviews.**

**Again, I thank you.**

**More updates soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A Rainbow No More- Chapter 5**

* * *

><p><strong>So, we witnessed that terrifying dream of Applejack's, and we also have little information on her side of the relationship.<strong>

**But, we know something lurks in the back of her mind.**

***Somewhat ambiguously floats away***

* * *

><p>Rainbow's eyes shot open, her sudden movement making her gasp.<p>

Sweat beaded around her temples, and a dull throb oozed around behind her eyes.

It was only a dream. It was her imagination. None of that would ever happen, nor _did_ it happen.

She slowly caught her breath. The hospital was awake, and Rainbow could hear foals crying in the lobby, the occasional squeaky sound of wheels of a cart passing by. It was just like every other day she had spent here. The only difference was that Applejack was in the bed to her left, with a rough, blue curtain pulled through the middle, separating the two.

She was no longer afraid of how Applejack felt, nor was she afraid that she had done the wrong thing and told her.

She wasn't afraid of her mind, anymore.

She wasn't afraid of her worries.

She didn't fear anypony's thoughts.

She had learned that night.

* * *

><p><em>Rainbow was flying.<em>

_She was flying very high._

_She had no recollection of when she started flying; it was as if she had always been in the sky._

_She just knew that she had been flying for a long time._

_Below, the land looked like a dollhouse. _

_Everything looked like a toy._

_She decided to land._

_When she hit the ground, she felt a puff of dust blow away in the wind._

_She observed the land around her._

_Everything was still; the only disturbance being a gentle breeze. Ponies stood in place, eyes locked in place. Some were smiling, some were just looking ahead, into the gloom. She walked past a salesman, handing somepony a viola. The surface was dusted like an old statue in a mansion, its strings vibrating in the wind. The bow was on the customer's hoof, precariously tilting on the edge. Her face wore a smile, and the salesman wore one as well. The houses and stores were small, the paint chipping off of their walls, flaking and drifting away every so often. _

_The dry, cracking pathways hadn't been walked upon in years. Dust swirled around on their surface, flowing over the broken dirt like an ocean._

_The wind._

_It whispered._

_It beckoned Rainbow._

_She felt a yearning to follow the voice, a desire to uncover something._

_The wind led her to a certain building._

_She looked at the door. It was still, like the rest of them._

_She pushed the door open slightly, the silence surprising her._

_The memory of what stood before her sunk into her brain, dripping into her subconscious._

_It stained her very mind._

_Rainbow saw herself, frozen in time, holding a hat._

_It was a Stetson hat, the kind Applejack wore._

_Rainbow was sitting on a stool, on the edge, as the stool was on its side, laying in the hay. The wood peeled and cracked along the sides and legs._

_As she approached herself, the door quickly slammed behind her._

_On the inside of the door, there was a message, scrawled in dried, aged blood._

_It read: "Pain is never heard."_

_As Rainbow turned to look at herself, sitting on the stool,_

_A single tear drop fell from her eye._

* * *

><p><strong>Whoa.<strong>

**Another dream!**

**What does it mean?**

**...and why were they so similar?**

**Answer in the reviews!**

**Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A Rainbow No More- Chapter 6**

* * *

><p><strong>So, last time, Rainbow had a dream.<strong>

**But... Which Rainbow shed the tear?**

**Thanks for staying loyal to my updates, friends!**

**And... you "guests" should REALLY get an account. It's free, so, yeah.**

**SO, YEAH.**

**THANKS.**

* * *

><p>Applejack felt a chill run down her spine.<p>

So did Rainbow.

They both had an itch at the back of their minds. It was a temptation, a ball on a string, swinging in front of them like a pendulum, with no way to stop it. It was the temptation to make a vow. A vow to protect the other, within and out of range, through rain and shine, for the rest of their lives.

But it was just a temptation. Just a temptation, right?

Rainbow's eyes fell upon the dirty tile. It was stained with yellow; it was no longer a mask of cleanliness. It was pretty gross, actually. Little hairs, gum... disgusting.

She looked for something else to stare at. She found the heater vent. The centimeter-thick grid of steel seemed to tug at her memory, but she couldn't quite grasp it.

For an instant the memory surfaced. She envisioned water filling a room below the vent, spilling out of the drain and filling the room she laid in. She noticed a silhouette under the grating, pounding at the vent viciously. It groped for air, until it stopped moving and floated to the floor below.

Rainbow tried to catch the memory, but it too drifted away before she could catch it.

She remembered not a thing, but every time she looked at that vent, something told her to keep away from it.

* * *

><p>Three days later, the doctors let them out of the hospital. Rainbow could walk, she just couldn't fly. Applejack had a boot on, and she didn't dare buck anything. Rainbow wasn't scared of Applejack anymore, but she was afraid <em>for <em>her.

Fluttershy saw them walking, and drifted down to meet them.

"Oh, hi, Rainbow Dash, and hi Applejack. What h-happened to your wings? And your leg?" Fluttershy asked, concerned.

"Well, howdy, Fluttershy, uh, well, Rainbow just... kind a' fell off a cliff, an' I brought 'er to the hospital, and messed up my leg, y'see?" She wiggled her leg in front of Flluttershy's face. "Ow."

Rainbow didn't have to explain. She just nodded. "When life gives you... never mind."

The three decided to walk down to the market, and get some food. It was noon, and they were hungry.

It was a day like any other, but Rainbow noticed the air pressure _shimmer_, like something was vibrating in the atmosphere.

"Hey, guys, I think something's wrong."

"And why's that?" Asked Applejack.

"It's just..." But before she could finish, the humming of an aircraft oscillated like a rubber band.

A screaming sound, that of an engine, climbed in volume until a large, steel-plated jet swooped down, heat waves denting the air.

A loud crack sounded, and the smell of grinding metal filled Rainbow's nostrils as a large harpoon was launched from a barrel on the bottom of the jet's left wing.

It slammed into Applejack's shoulder, shattering her scapula, and yanked her away like a ragdoll.

Nopony knew what was happening, or why.

But Rainbow heard another crack.

She watched a metal claw punch through her as well, and saw her own bones splintering and sprawling about her shoulder.

She was pulled off the ground.

The wind stung against her bleeding flesh.

* * *

><p><strong>HOLY SHIT.<strong>

**Plot twist! Bet you didn't see that coming, did you? Is it better or worse?**

**Question: What does this remind you of?**

**If you want to know what this is actually a reference to, PM me!**

**Review!**

**Thank you!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A Rainbow No More- Chapter 7**

**If you didn't get the reference, you should probably read Password.**

**Harpoons?**

**Yeah. Well, honestly, that story came to me in a dream. It was originally a normal fiction story, but I've ponified it for FanFiction. **

**SO, YEAH.**

**THANKS.**

* * *

><p>The squad of planes soared across the sky. Under two of the jets, hanging from long, metal cords, were two unconscious ponies. Their lives had been ruined.<p>

After two hours of flight, a command sounded over the intercom.

"Commence landing sequence," uttered the leader of whatever group this was.

It was about to begin.

* * *

><p>Rainbow awoke. Her eyes fluttered open, and she observed her surroundings. She was laying in a hard, cold cot. She sat up, and realized that her wound from the harpoon was <em>gone<em>. Her wings were fully healed, as well. There were three other ponies in cots around her, one of them being Applejack. She saw a unicorn with a dark grey mane and a white coat. He was a stallion, and he was out cold.

Another stallion lay in the cot to her left, a Pegasus. He had a dark red coat, and a light blue mane. He lay awake.

"Hey, you," whispered Rainbow.

"Me?" asked the red stallion.

"Yeah, you. Red guy. What the fuck are we here for?"

"Beats me. The name's Flying Flood. You?"

"Rainbow Dash."

"No kidding." He looked her up and down.

"Do you know that other guy?" Rainbow asked.

"Yeah, that's my brother, Sharp Stone. Do you know that mare over there?"

"Uh-huh, that's my friend Applejack."

"Ah. I'm gonna go see if I can-"

Before he could finish his sentence, a blue light shone from a square on the wall.

"Welcome."

"Thanks?" said Rainbow.

"You have been statistically selected from a manually coded list to serve your country. You have been chosen to be in squad [2A], along with [3] other subjects."

"What?"

"Please be aware that you and your squadron will be participating in physical warfare against the country of Griffoa, home of the Griffins."

"WHAT?!"

"Dispatch: TrainingSector, SetTimeOut(60000)"

"What the hay does that mean?" Applejack had woken up.

"Apparently, we're soldiers."

"But why?"

"It was, as the lady said, 'a statistical selection'."

"Is that 'fancy' for random shit?"

"I don't know," finished Rainbow.

As she said that, a voice sounded from the speakers in the wall.

"You have been placed together based on your abilities, Applejack." It was a male, like, a REAL pony.

"IT KNOWS MY NAME!"

"We just kind of, you know, picked you guys because you're strong. All of you. And, I'm your team advisor, Blue Blade. You should listen to me."

"Why's that?"

"Because it's life or death, where you're going."

The speakers went back to a low buzz, then went silent.

"Dispatch: TrainingSector, SetTimeOut(40000)"

They had approximately forty seconds until they were launched off to the training sector, but who knew that?

They sat in silence.

"_Function _countdown(SetTimeOut)"

"Oh, lord," said AJ.

"[10]"

"What's happening?" asked Flood.

"[9]"

"It's counting down," said Rainbow.

"[8]"

"What for?"

"[7]"

"To be sent off to training."

"[6]"

"Oh."

"[5]"

"So, do we just..." started Sharp Stone.

"[4]"

"Learn how to kick ass?" added Rainbow.

"[3]"

"I think we..."

"[2]"

"...launch now."

"[1]"

"See ya in hell." Applejack meant it.

"Dispatch: Commence == true;" spouted the lady.

The floor below them collapsed, a loud screeching sound piercing the air. A blast of wind sucked the four ponies out of the plane, sending them tumbling towards the ground below.

"HOLY SHIT!"

"Remain calm. When you near the cloud layer, pull the blinking string attached to your parachute."

"Parachute? When did I get that?"

A small string whipped in the wind behind Applejack. Oblivious to technology, she acknowledged her possible hallucination and raised her eyebrows.

"Well. Ok, then."

When they neared the clouds, they each pulled the blinking string. A parachute sprung from each of their packs, billowing out like a bag in front of a fan.

They slowed their descent a little. After a while, a large, circular arena became visible below them.

* * *

><p>The arena turned out to be the training sector, where Rainbow saw seven other groups of four, some Pegasi, some unicorns, and some earth ponies.<p>

The glass walls towered above her. Racks of weapons, from small hoof-guns to large, hefty rifles. She even saw some rocket propelled grenade launchers.

"Greetings, Equestrian Marines. And welcome to real warfare."

* * *

><p><strong>WHOA! FUCK!<strong>

**So, they're soldiers?**

**I thought this was a romance story!**

**It is. But, war happens.**

**Question: Why do you think there are only 8 squadrons?**

**Thanks for not flaming!**

**R&R!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A Rainbow No More- Chapter 8**

**A Guest in the reviews said, "Yayyy hungergames!" for chapter 7.**

**Well, no. Not exactly. It's war, not a game of death.**

**Unless you were seeing a connection with the training arena, that is.**

**The descriptions in this story are only minimal right now. When the squad goes into combat, it's not going to be all simple. Got it?**

**Well, enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Rainbow's eyes widened. Applejack made a concerned face. Flood looked at Sharp Stone. Sharp Stone said, "Dude, get over it."<p>

The group of four was split up, each being directed to a station they excelled at, Rainbow's being aerial agility and stealth. Applejack was put in the melee and hoof-to-hoof combat area. Flying Flood occupied the firearm and ranged weapons section, and Sharp Stone was in computer science and technology section.

"You are about to begin a test, to measure your skill level in your highest areas," a voice sounded.

"Post test, you will begin squad classes, in order to obtain knowledge of the proper use of each skill you will learn or advance in." There was a pause. "Your test begins... now."

* * *

><p>Rainbow took to the skies. She evaded mimic aircrafts, dodged obstacles, and shot to the finish line in less than ten seconds. The session was rather short. Her results were recorded, and she was sent back to the waiting room. She was alone, just <em>waiting<em>.

Applejack wielded her knife, and charged a training pony, the ballistic gel of its artificial flesh gave a soft luster. She jabbed the knife into the back of the dummy's neck, then bucked its head clean off. It was quick, and boring, but it was also very important. She was ordered to go to the waiting room, where she found Rainbow.

"Oh, no shit. You, first one to be waiting."

"It was way to quick for me."

"It was a one-step evaluation, so that makes sense."

They sat there. Waiting.

Flood and Stone entered a little later. Flood was sweating, and Stone was pretty angry.

"I can't believe... I just wasted... thirty seconds of my life... to make a calendar with JavaScript."

"Well, I can't believe I just wasted a good hundred pounds of ammunition to make some holes in a lifeless dummy."

It was a boring exercise. It's even boring to read, I bet.

But, because the test was over, the intercom booted up.

"Classes will begin in an hour. Lunch will be served in the mess hall in five minutes. It's your only lunch break, so I'd get down there." It was Blue Blade.

"Thanks." Rainbow trudged off.

The rest followed her.

The Mess Hall was a large room. It was a little smaller than the Training Sector, but not bigger than a normal cafeteria.

There was a long line of other ponies, waiting for their food.

"Ok, no." Applejack was offended by the long wait ahead.

"Dude, it's food," Sharp Stone remarked.

"Dude, SHUT UP, it's a long ass line," replied Rainbow.

"It's our only lunch, and our only break. C'mon," said Flood.

The four waited in line.

The line became shorter by the minute, but it seemed like hours.

"It's gonna be a long day..."

* * *

><p>They had finished their lunch, and were off to classes.<p>

The first class was Commands and Authority. The pony at the front gave a monologue about who's who.

The speaker announced that if you are below rank 2, you address all other ranks as Sir or Miss. If you are below rank 2 and are addressing a rank 7 or higher, you will address them as such.

Very submissively.

As the class wore on, Rainbow started to get... drowsy...

"YOU. Top right. Name, please."

"Uh, um... Rainbow Dash."

"Get the fuck down here."

"O-Ok..."

"WHAT?"

"Yes, Sir."

"What do you do, if you are in combat, and a fellow soldier goes down?"

"You go back?"

Rainbow didn't even know they went over this.

"NO."

"You... keep going?"

"Yes. You save yourself."

"Really?"

"Yes. You save yourself because if you go back, we lose two soldiers, not one."

"But what if I save them? What if I survive?"

"That's too much of a risk."

She looked over at Applejack.

She remembered that vow.

* * *

><p><strong>Will Rainbow end up ...following directions?<strong>

**Who knows?**

**Question: How many out of 32 do you think will survive?**

**Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A Rainbow No More- Chapter 9**

**Will Rainbow follow directions?**

**I don't know.**

**If you want me to use your OC in this story as a fellow soldier, foe, or background character, PM me. Or, leave it in the reviews!**

**Thanks!**

**R&R!**

* * *

><p>Rainbow and the rest of her squad were walking through the halls.<p>

They had gone through each class, every day, for a month. They were now eligible to fight in battle.

They had been given specific jobs.

Rainbow Dash was in charge of aerial attacks, location, and speed. She was the air force of the team. Applejack was in charge of melee combat, physical fighting, and organization. She was the fist and arm. Flying Flood was in charge of guns, arms, and ammunition. He was the ranged force. Sharp Stone was in charge of computers, hacking, and coding weaponry. He was the brain.

They were heading to the bunker when the intercoms booted up.

"Attention all recruits, EVACUATE the PREMISE. I REPEAT, EVACUATE THE PREMISE!"

"Rainbow, GO!"

Rainbow shot forward, flying straight through the halls.

Sharp Stone, Applejack, and Flood ran after her.

There was a low rumble; the sound was a vibration.

Suddenly, a huge explosion racked the building. Debris shot everywhere, but the four ponies managed to escape.

Once outside, they turned back to look at the collapsing building.

"Bro." Rainbow looked upward.

"We are under attack. Keep calm, but come grab your cases and baggage. We're heading out."

The war had officially started.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm SO SORRY.<strong>

**This was SUCH a short chapter.**

**I just had to write something, but I couldn't think of anything!**

**Please don't be mad...**

**R&R!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A Rainbow No More- Chapter 10**

**Let's cut to the action.**

**Shortest note so far.**

* * *

><p>They were in a jet.<p>

Again.

They were flying above the ocean. It was beautiful.

The lady- who came to be known as Theodora- was displaying a map of where they were located and where they were touching down. They were about ten minutes away.

"Everyone ready?" called AJ.

"Yup."

"Uh huh."

"Sure."

Their packs were full of supplies. Knives, gun parts, grenades, C4, all that good time jazz. Applejack was learning how to use a calculator- a Texas Instruments 84 plus. It was old, but they used these so they couldn't be tracked with them. They were not connected to any networks, or anything. They each had mission data on them, and were the safest bet for something inaccessible and durable.

But they could still be hacked.

A great vibration rocked the plane.

"EMP alert: STATUS: Kamikaze Virus; script:" said Theodora. She displayed a message before shutting down:

prgmBUNNY

:999→dim(∟BUNNY

:While 1

:SortA(∟BUNNY

:End

AJ's calculator automatically went to LINK menu. It started receiving something. It was a program, called BUNNY. It finished installing, then, it ran the program automatically.

The screen was blank except for the loading line at the top.

"Is this a joke?" AJ asked, as she took the batteries out, and put them back in.

She turned it on, and it read: TI 84 plus RAM CLEARED. The screen was dark, so she turned the contrast back down. They had their mission data stolen.

"Wow. That simple, huh," said Sharp Stone.

"Touchdown, folks. I'm gonna have you jump in three... two... one... Good day!"

They all hopped out. They free fell for a minute, then pulled the blinking strings.

When they landed on the boat below, they all did this epic one-hoof punch landing, at Flood's suggestion.

"Nice!" a pony from the other side yelled.

The boat was long. It was a warship, a Destroyer, and behind it trailed six other ships. In the distance, another ship could be spotted. It was the enemy.

"I realize you all were just attacked by a kamikaze virus that erased all your mission data. You will do as you are commanded, and you will follow all directions."

"YES SIR!"

"Squad 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D, you all get to take the pods. 2A through 2D, you will man the guns on the ship. Rainbow Dash!"

"YES SIR!"

"You will be manning the RIM-67 Standard. Be careful."

"YES SIR!" She was going to get to shoot a missile! SWEET!

"Applejack!"

"YES SIR!"

"You will be manning the M61 Vulcan for one shift."

"YES SIR!" She was gonna use a machine gun. Meh.

"The rest of you! You know what to do."

Everypony scrambled around, attending their shifts. Below deck, the third pre-trained squad sector was operating the controls, radars, and electronic equipment.

The rules of warfare were very different from Earth. But... they had American weapons. Meh.

Sixteen individual pods shot out of the sides of the boat, skimming the water until they submerged.

Then, twenty fighter jets launched into the air... from the enemy ship. Smoke trailed behind them each.

Rainbow aimed her missile.

* * *

><p><strong>WOOT! ACTION!<strong>

**Thanks for reading!**

**R&R!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A Rainbow No More- Chapter 11**

**This is about to get crazy.**

**I don't know a lot (or anything) about guns, so, no flaming, or any kind of correcting, please. It's not worth your time.**

**R&R!**

**Woot!**

* * *

><p>Rainbow aimed her missile at the incoming jets. She captured one in her crosshairs, and pulled the trigger.<p>

A loud bang rang out, followed by a fizzing sound. A long, white rocket was launched from the barrel. The jet tried to evade it, but the missile made contact. The jet exploded, leaving a trail of smoke and fire behind it as it barreled toward the sea. The sound was immense.

Unfortunately, the pilot had ejected, trailing down to the water like the ash of a napkin.

A spray of bullets suddenly shot in the pilot's direction, and he was blown to rags of flesh and blood. The water turned a faint red where he landed.

Rainbow glanced at Applejack, who raised a hoof in success.

Then she realized the other jets were still out there. She loaded another long rocket into the cannon, and locked on to four of the other planes. When she pulled the trigger, the rocket shot away, but then it split into four little ones with a big one in the middle. Two of the jets were caught before they could eject, and the other two were blasted to powder by the combined forces of Rainbow and AJ. The fifth missile flew on, but it soon burst into thousands of tiny pieces, ripping the wings of three more, sending them to sleep with the fish.

It was glorious.

The remaining twelve soared above the ship, raining bullets downward.

One dropped a long, shiny thing.

Rainbow turned to instinct. She shot upward, and caught it. It was blazing hot, like an oven, but she flew directly upward until she saw a plane flying below her.

She dropped the bomb.

The jet swerved down toward the ship. The bomb hit its engine, sending it spiraling to the earth...

But just as it was about to explode, another plane rammed directly into it, sending the explosion over the boat and into the ocean.

"This is starting to seem like a fiction story," said Rainbow, as she landed.

"I know, right?" replied Applejack.

Rainbow couldn't spot the other aircrafts.

But she couldn't spot _anything_ when something small slammed into her stomach. She looked at herself.

There was a massive, oozing hole where she had been hit.

"Hey, now I can say that I've-" But she passed out.

"RAINBOW!" Applejack galloped over, forgetting the laws of war.

"Rainbow, please! Speak to me!" She yelled in Rainbow's face. Rainbow just lay limp, barely breathing.

"DON'T WE HAVE MEDICS?!" She ripped her pants leg off, pressing it to her friend's wound.

The dark fabric moistened with blood, so she ripped more off.

Meanwhile, the remaining jets screamed overhead.

Rainbow woke up, still on the boat, bleeding to death.

"Applejack- thank you, but, I don't think you can... save me," she croaked.

"Yes, I can- you wait and see... Or so help me..."

"AJ?"

"Yes?"

"Tell me the truth..."

"About what?" She was getting more scared, as bombs landed, destroying the ship, killing her team mates.

"Are you guilty?"

"...Should I be?"

"Look behind you."

"No."

"Do it!"

"NO!"

"Ok, then... goodbye, AJ..."

Applejack suddenly pressed her lips against Rainbow's.

...but Rainbow didn't kiss back.

Her lips were soft and limp. They had grown cold.

When Applejack looked at Rainbow's face, she lost all hope for the future.

Her face was pale, and her eyes stared into the sky, unblinking.

Applejack looked into them, shocked.

She had been left ignorant to Applejack's feelings.

For she was a Rainbow no more.


End file.
